ECAC West Preview Video | Game Notes

Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College women's ice hockey team last took the ice for competition on February 23rd against Neumann University, a game in which the Purple and Gold defeated the Knights 4-1. The win clinched EC's third-straight 20-win season and secured the Soaring Eagles a share of the ECAC West regular season crown for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

But a lot has happened since then. Elmira lost the tie-breaking coin flip to Plattsburgh State, forcing the Soaring Eagles to travel to Plattsburgh for the ECAC West Tournament; both Oswego State and Utica College secured their spots in the ECAC West semifinals with victories last weekend; and then outside of the ECAC West, the team that EC defeated in the 2013 National Championship game, Middlebury College, was upset by Connecticut College in the quarterfinals of the NESCAC Tournament.

The Panthers of Middlebury were the favorites to win the NESCAC and receive the conference's autobid into the NCAA Tournament. So now, Middlebury's loss provides an opportunity for some other team from the NESCAC to come in and steal one of the eight tournament spots. With Middlebury now in the conversation for an at-large bid, the pressure to succeed this weekend is that much greater for the Soaring Eagles.

It is clear by the team's focus that EC understands the importance of this weekend and began their preparation for their semifinal matchup with Oswego State last week. While two weeks of practice leading up to such a weekend can be stressful for the players, Head Coach Dean Jackson '03 knows how important infusing some fun into practice can be this time of year. 

"We want to keep the team loose while also keeping them focused" said Jackson. "There is enough pressure on the program and the players that it is important to have fun while also preparing them for what we are going to see on the ice."

For the Soaring Eagles to have success this weekend, their stars will have to play well. EC is led by their three captains, assistant captain Ashley Ryan '15, captain Tanis Lamoureux '14, and assistant captain Brooke Wilgosh '15, both on and off the  ice. Ryan and Lamoureux are the focal points of the Elmira offense as the two have combined for 26 goals and 50 assists heading into this weekend. Ryan, with 41 points, is the first 40-point scorer since Kayla Coady '09, while Lamoureux is having the best offensive season of her career. Each has been vital to EC's success this season and each earned a spot on the ECAC West All-Conference First Team when the year-end awards were announced last week. 

Wilgosh, who also earned an ECAC West First Team selection, is the anchor of the Purple and Gold defense. The 2013-14 ECAC West Defensive Player of the Year led all ECAC West defenders in scoring at 1.19 points per game, which also ranks her third in the nation in that category, and was a driving force behind the the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the country. 

Also keep an eye out for Elmira's leading goal scorer Ashton Hogan '15 who is returning to her first collegiate home this weekend. Hogan leads EC with 17 goals scored and is coming off a weekend that saw her score five times against Neumann. The junior played her freshman season at Plattsburgh State, so she is more familiar with the environment of the Stafford Ice Arena.

Stafford Ice Arena is not an easy place to play, but the Purple and Gold have had success here in the past. EC has competed at Plattsburgh in the final weekend of the ECAC West Tournament six times in their 12-year history and has advanced to the championship game five out of those six years. Overall, the Soaring Eagles hold an 8-3 record in the ECAC West tournament at Stafford Ice Arena, including winning three ECAC West Championships in 2004, 2008, and 2010.

The Purple and Gold can begin their title defense by winning the ECAC West tournament, securing the conference's autobid into the NCAA Tournament. If EC happens to fall this weekend, their fate will fall in the hands of the NCAA selection committee. Elmira was given the final at-large spot by the selection committee last season, and we all know how that turned out, but Lamoureux would prefer that her team takes the more secure route this time around.

"We are one-and-done at this point so we are all planning on giving everything we have on every shift. If we want to get to the national tournament, we have to win the ECAC West Championship. We don't want to put our fate in anyone else's hands. We haven't won an ECAC West title since I've been here. We want one of those cool blue hats, we want to be able to hold the banner, and we want another banner hanging in our barn here."

Elmira kicks-off their ECAC West Tournament on Saturday, March 8th at 7:00 p.m. with a semifinal matchup with third-seeded Oswego State.

Ticket Information:
Ticket prices are $5 general admission and $3 for college students with a valid ID. Ticket prices are per day and no weekend passes will be sold. Ticket sales will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Field House Box Office.